The History of Philippine Psychology The psychology of, about, and for the Filipinos was born

out of the need to establish a discipline which is responsive to the needs of the Filipino people.
[pic] Generally, to some extent, it had been considered a given until a few years ago that when
one talked about psychology, one meant the psychology of Americans. Asian psychology had
been unrecognized, or at least, unacknowledged worldwide. The Zeitgeist in Asian Psychology

Through the years, however, there was an awakening, a realization, by Asian psychologists that
western concepts and theories were irrelevant and inapplicable when applied in the Asian
context. They began to question the appropriateness of letting western social scientists
describe and predict Asian behavior, without consideration for the differences between the
Asian and Western cultures. Thus was born the need for an Asian psychology, a psychology
arising from one’s own experiences. With it, there was a movement as well by Filipino
psychologists of the need to have their own identity.

History of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, or the “Psychology of, about, and for the Filipinos” Psychology
as an academic discipline in the Philippines started in the early 1900s when the U. S. colonized
the country. Scientifically, it was generally viewed as a continuation of the development of
psychology in the West. In the early 1970s, however, there came a turning point in the lives of
Filipinos. It was a period marked by a high degree of nationalism, brought about by the
declaration of the Martial Law. It was ironic that the father of Philippine Psychology was, at that
time, a recent Ph. D. raduate of Northwestern University in the U. S. It was precisely his
Western education that made Sikolohiyang Pilipino founder Virgilio Enriquez realize the need to
have a psychology based on the experience, ideas, and orientation of the Filipinos. Together
with three other colleagues—Prospero Covar (anthropologist), and Zeus Salazar (historian), and
Alfredo Lagmay (psychologist)—they helped establish the foundation for a psychology of and
for the Filipinos. Enriquez had been a professor of Psychology in the University of the
Philippines in Diliman in 1963, but left in 1966 for the U. S. to pursue a Ph. D. in Social
Psychology.

From there, he watched the disenchantment of young student activists in the Philippines over
the deteriorating political and social conditions of the country. When Enriquez returned to the
Philippines in 1971, he embarked on a research study with Lagmay into the historical and
cultural roots of Philippine Psychology, which included identifying indigenous concepts and
approaches. Four years later, he chaired the first national conference on Filipino Psychology. In
this conference, the ideas, concepts, and formulations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino were formally
articulated. Sikolohiyang Pilipino in the University of the Philippines

When Enriquez returned from the States, he and a few other colleagues translated foreign
articles to Filipino. The students were also strongly encouraged to write their papers in this
language instead of in English, which had been (and still is) the medium of instruction in the
University. Gradually, more and more members of the faculty were convinced to use the
Filipino language in teaching Introductory Psychology. The main problems they encountered in
the use of Filipino in teaching psychology, especially in its initial years, included the lack of
materials written in Filipino and the lack of a technical vocabulary.

These challenges were solved by translations, compilations of local materials, and choosing the
appropriate words from the local dialect. There were times when the technical term was
retained when there was no equivalent in Filipino. This did not work out because Enriquez
realized that the translation failed to express a truly Filipino psychology. Other factors were the
difficulty of expressing or explaining some Western concepts and theories in Filipino, the
negative reactions of students who sometimes felt that their skill in speaking and writing in
Filipino was inadequate, and the students’ lack of fluency in the language.

However, there were observable benefits as well brought about by the use of Filipino in
teaching psychology. Among other things: • It created better rapport between teacher and
students • There was a more relaxed atmosphere in the classroom • The students’ confidence
grew in expressing their opinions, thoughts, and actual experiences • A different perspective,
which was more Filipino, was introduced into the course • Indigenous concepts were
discovered; and The scope of topics discussed became broader with the addition of information
from local materials and experiences. Class discussions also became more concrete in relation
to Philippine reality. Psychology became related intimately and significantly to the everyday life
of the people. Most importantly, with the birth of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, a psychology with a
Filipino orientation was developed. The Status of Sikolohiyang Pilipino Now

Sikolohiyang Pilipino continues to thrive, despite the death of Enriquez in the early 90s. Its
proponents continue to advocate for a psychology that is truly responsive and reflective to the
needs and the unique situation of the Filipino people. For more information about Sikolohiyang
Pilipino, read an SP proponent’s paper on Indigenous Filipino Values. Reference: Enriquez, V.
(Ed. ). (1990). Indigenous psychology: A book of readings. Quezon City: Akademya ng
Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Copyright Ma. Aleah Taboclaon